It’s common wisdom at this point that most new consoles don’t really get off to great starts. As developers come to grips with the new hardware and production timelines shift to accommodate generation resets, the first year of the majority of consoles is characterized by a relative lick of major hits or excellent releases. There have, of course, been a few notable exceptions to the rule (the Switch being one of the more recent ones), but anytime a new console launches, one can’t help but worry about just how long it’ll take for it to gather some real momentum.
The PS5 has been out for a year at this point, and unsurprisingly, where its sales are concerned, it’s been a massive success for Sony already. Its lifetime worldwide shipments currently stand at 13.4 million units, and it’s become the fastest-selling PlayStation console ever. Of course, things haven’t been perfect – constant supply issues have been a real pain in the neck for a large number of prospective buyers, while the steep decline of PlayStation hardware sales in Japan has been shocking to witness – but by and large, the PS5 has very much got off to the kind of start that Sony would have been hoping for.